“Daoist Guanji, your swordsmanship is truly peerless! I am Jiang Pengcheng. That I could witness such exquisite sword moves must be the reward of my ancestors’ accumulated virtue!”
Old Master Jiang’s eldest son, Jiang Pengcheng, carefully flattered Daoist Guanji. Seeing that he showed no distaste, the others also surged forward, praising him in endless variety, from his bearing down to every strand of his hair.
Everyone tried to find ways to build rapport with Daoist Guanji. Facing such an elegant banished immortal, even a few words would be enough to brag about later.
Although the Daoist seemed aloof and hard to approach, their family had produced a future sword-cultivator disciple, and a master is as good as a father, so rounding up, they were all one family.
And all the younger generation of the Jiang family, unable to squeeze into their elders’ circle, gathered around Jiang Yuhuai.
“Brother Huai, I’m your own cousin. Using anyone else can’t be as handy as using me. Brother Huai, think of a way to let me go in with you to serve you!”
Although Jiang Yuhuai still had a teenager’s impetuousness, in a big matter like this he could tell what mattered and what was urgent, and immediately made clear his relationship with the sect.
“I’ve only obtained the entrance trial qualification for Wenxin Sect. I must pass the trial before I formally join.”
Although they were all children, those present were all sharp, and someone immediately put on an even more eager smile and began kneading Jiang Yuhuai’s shoulders and pounding his back.
“Brother Huai, my good brother, we’re the best of brothers! Now you’re Daoist Guanji’s beloved disciple. Please help me ask whether our sect is still taking disciples. Don’t forget your dear cousin!”
“Brother Huai, we grew up together, you know me best! My Dao heart is the firmest! Please introduce me, Brother Huai!”
The children all thought of this, and Old Master Jiang, who had battled his way through the business world, certainly couldn’t overlook it either, only he used a longer buildup.
Wanting to express thanks to Daoist Guanji, refused.
Wanting to send money to Wenxin Sect, refused.
Wanting to send disciples to Wenxin Sect, was…
This time not refused.
“My junior brother says times have changed, the old ways of the sect from ten thousand years ago no longer work, and he wants to transform Wenxin Sect into a comprehensive university that integrates undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. We indeed have not been able to adapt to the present age. For matters of taking disciples and admissions, you can ask him.”
Daoist Guanji turned his palm over and conjured a gold-stamped business card.
Old Master Jiang respectfully took it and looked. On it was written “Director of Admissions, Wenxin Cultivation University—Lu Xiuyuan,” and below it a string of numbers: “Tel: 1XXXXXXXXXX.”
This Daoist Lu was quite fashionable, adapting so well to modern society!
Daoist Guanji recalled his flying sword. The villa, once full of demonic qi, was renewed after the flying sword’s automatic demon-clearing, the gray, gloomy qi dispersed, and the world returned to normal.
“I have other matters. I take my leave.” Having said this, Daoist Guanji left gracefully on his sword.
“Daoist Guanji—”
Old Master Jiang wanted to chat more with him and pry out some information about the cultivation world and the hidden sects, but Daoist Guanji’s back vanished at the edge of the sky in a blink.
Old Master Jiang gazed after Daoist Guanji’s departing back like a wife-waiting stone.
Cultivation was real! If he were younger, no, he was in time! Completely in time! Even old, he, Jiang Guanlin, was certainly a cultivation genius!
The older generation of fathers and grandfathers could still pretend to keep their composure, but the children were all excited, their faces flushed as if the one flying off gracefully on a sword was themselves.
“So handsome!”
“So cool!”
“If I could fly on a sword in this life, I’d be willing even if you made me an immortal!”
“Pah! Shameless, eating and taking at the same time!”
Forcing down the excitement that made them want to go run tens of thousands of meters, the grandchildren chattered, urging Old Master Jiang to call right away.
“Grandpa, quickly call Daoist Lu of Wenxin Cultivation University! Whether we can enter Wenxin Sect depends entirely on him!”
Old Master Jiang glanced at them calmly. Everyone instinctively straightened their backs with a shiver in their hearts, not daring to speak again, and quietly waited for Old Master Jiang’s instructions.
“Yuhuai, come with me to the study.”
Although the villa was much damaged by the commotion the demon had made, the demon was gone, and the pressure left by the sword qi still faintly radiated around, so there was no place safer than here.
“Sect Master, why do they build houses so tall here! That mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn’t even see you summon the heavenly thunder to rescue the Jiang family from the demon’s mouth!”
Granny Lin had no talent for business, but she had tasted sweetness, and whenever she had money in hand she bought houses and land. The more was demolished, the more she got, and she became a rich woman. Although housing prices had fallen a lot in recent years, they were still far from Granny Lin’s average cost!
She couldn’t afford a top-tier villa, but this area had good feng shui and several villa districts, and she lived a few kilometers from the Jiang family villa.
The paper fox had not forgotten his purpose in coming here, to slap the face of the country bumpkins who looked down on “Wenxin Xiuxian University”!
Originally he had been troubled over how to show off naturally and coolly before Granny Lin, when he discovered the awakened demon in the Jiang family villa.
He didn’t have to be troubled anymore; a ready-made script had turned up, hadn’t it?
But the paper fox waited and waited without getting any fame-increase notification from Granny Lin’s direction.
—Mortal eyesight was too weak, nothing like a cultivator who could see scenes happening several kilometers away.
“No hurry. What’s learned too easily has no persuasive power.” Most importantly—Lu Xiuyuan couldn’t hold on anymore.
He stopped in a small grove: “You guard the Dharma for me. I need to regulate my breathing first.”
Lu Xiuyuan had advanced quickly with immortal fate, but the ceiling was only Qi Refining Great Perfection, and today his opponent was a demon whose strength was gradually recovering to the peak of Foundation Establishment.
If Lu Xiuyuan hadn’t used a large number of basic thunder-summoning talismans and borrowed the power of heavenly thunder, he wouldn’t have won so “gracefully.”
Behind the seemingly effortless win, it had all been burned with “spiritual qi” and “talismans.”
“Sect Master, rest assured! This fox will guard the Dharma to the death! Whoever wants to touch a single hair of yours will have to step over my body!”
The paper fox patted his paper body until it rustled. Lu Xiuyuan wanted to laugh a little, but also felt a trace of warmth.
Lu Xiuyuan sat cross-legged on a treetop: “Mm. With you here, I’m not afraid.” Having said that, he had already closed his eyes and entered a state of fully focused breath regulation.
“Hehe, the Sect Master trusts me so much, I’m the fox the Sect Master trusts most~” The paper fox was so pleased he was almost blown away by the wind. Squealing, he hooked the tree fork with his tail, and moved back bit by bit with difficulty so that he would not be separated from Lu Xiuyuan.
“Phew, close call, close call…”
The Celestial Fox carefully pressed his head against the hem of Lu Xiuyuan’s clothes, staying tightly close to him.
On the other side, Old Master Jiang found ways to send away everyone who came to pry for news.
Whether they harbored ill will, thinking he had been retaliated against by enemies and were coming to laugh, or truly cared and worried about him, he saw none of them.
After Jiang Yuhuai told him everything he knew about Wenxin Sect, down to the last detail, Old Master Jiang sat alone in the study, spaced out for a long time.
After spending another night arranging everything, he, nervous and expectant, dialed the number on the business card.
“…Beep… The number you have dialed is temporarily unanswered. Please try again later.”
Old Master Jiang waited five hours before calling again.
“…Beep… The number you have dialed…”
Old Master Jiang was careful, and this time waited eight hours before calling.
“…Beep… The number you have dialed…”
Old Master Jiang waited another ten hours, and just as he wanted to call again, his eldest son Jiang Pengcheng ran in with a serious face, holding his phone.
“Dad, Wenxin Sect and Xiao Huai’s future junior sister are being cyberbullied.”
Old Master Jiang immediately turned serious.